Rotary kiln

ABSTRACT

Apparatus and method is disclosed for joining a cooler tube to a rotary kiln. The cooler tube is connected in communicating relationship to an outlet of the kiln by means of a junction piece comprising two shell sections, one of which has inner and outer telescoping elements.

Unlted States Patent 1191 [111 3,927,960 Endersen 5] Dec. 23, 1975 ROTARY KILN 3,188,! 6/1965 Peterson 285/352 x i 3,298,680 H1967 .loblin 285/9 R X [75] Wuhan lander-sen 3,502,139 3/1970 Andersen 432/80 Copenhagen-Why, Denmark 3,190,335 2/1974 Andreassen 432/80 [73] Asslgnee: F. L. SmIdth & Co., Cressklll, NJ. FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS [22] Flledi 1972 217.624 l2/l967 Sweden .1 285/31 [2 pp No: 23 323 l,|42,ll9 2/1969 United Kingdom 432/80 Primary ExaminerDave W. Arola F0 g Applicant, Pnonty Data Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Pennie & Edmonds Apr. 19, l97l United Kingdom 9808/71 [52] US. Cl. 432/80; 285/31; 285/55; [57] ABSTRACT 28S/l87; 285/286 5 H Int. CL!" F271) s oz F278 7/38; F16L z oo Apparatus and method [8 dISClOS6d fOl' lommg 21 0001 6! Field 0 Search 285/9 31 55 32 187 tube to a rotary klln. The cooler tube IS connected 1n 3 6 communicating relationship to an outlet of the kiln by means of a junction piece comprising two shell sec- [56] References Cited tions, one of which has inner and outer telescoping el- UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS emems' l,770.l 7/1930 Mitchell 285/286 X 9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures I I I I U.S. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,927,960

I, I r I US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,927,960

ROTARY KILN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Planetary coolers for rotary kilns comprise a number of cooler tubes mounted in planetary fashion around the outlet end of the kiln to receive the hot kiln product, for example, cement clinker, and cool it by air flowing in countercurrent into the kiln. Openings for the discharge of the hot product from the kiln are made in the kiln shell, and it is of course necessary to connect each such opening to the corresponding cooler tube. This is normally done by inserting an intermediate junction piece between the opening in the kiln shell and the air-outlet end of the cooler tube. This junction piece includes a substantially radial chute down which the cement clinker or other hot kiln product partly falls and partly slides as the kiln rotates.

Each cooler tube is very heavy and must be firmly mounted on the kiln. When this has been done, the junction piece must be put in position, the one end of it being mated with the end of the cooler tube, and normally secured to that by bolts passing through flanges on the cooler tube and junction piece. The other end must be in register with the opening in the kiln shell but free to move to some extent towards and away from that opening in order to allow for thermal expansion and contraction. There must be a definite clearance between the junction piece and some part of the kiln shell for this purpose.

The kiln shell, junction piece and cooler tube are all made of metal with heat-resistant linings, and the junction piece must be lined before it is finally put in position.

The assembly of such ajunction piece is complicated, and the object in this invention is to provide an improved method of forming the complete assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention the junction piece is made in two shell sections. The first shell section has two open ends substantially perpendicular to one another. One of these ends is adapted to mate with the end of the cooler tube and the other is adapted to mate with the second section. The second section is itself composed of two telescopic elements. The steps in joining the cooler tube to the shell outlet after the cooler tube has been mounted on the kiln comprises uniting the first section to the cooler tube, assembling the telescopic elements of the second shell section in their desired relative position in relation to the outlet in the kiln shell, with or without first lining one of them, welding them together while they are in this relative position, lining or completing the lining of the assembled second shell section, and uniting this section to the first. This first section is preferably but not necessarily lined before it is united to the cooler tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows part of a kiln shell and some cooler tubes;

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 22 in FIG. I and is on a larger scale; and,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. I shows the general arrangement ofa kiln 1 and a planetary cooler. Openings 23 (shown in FIG. 2) are made in the kiln shell, and hollow spigots 2 are welded to the shell around these. The hot product from the kiln is discharged through the openings 23 and hollow spigots 2 into junction pieces 4, which are secured through flanges 21 to similar flanges 22 on the cooler tubes, which themselves are not visible in FIG. 1. Each junction piece includes a radial chute 3.

The first shell section of the junction piece 4 is shown at 5 in FIG. 2, and has a heat-resistant lining I0, which may consist of fire bricks or monolithic material or both. The cooler tube is shown in section in FIG. 2, and comprises a shell 6 which has a lining 7 and to which the flange 22 is welded.

The second shell section is made of two telescopic elements, namely an inner element 11 which must be spaced away from the spigot 2 by a predetermined distance X, and an outer element 12 which must be united to the shell section 5, and which has a flange 16 which mates with a flange 17 on the shell section 5. The inner telescopic element 11 is lined in advance by a heat-resistant liner 13, which may consist of fire bricks and which is held in position between two rings 14 and 15 which are welded to the telescopic element 11. The outer telescopic element 12 is not lined in advance, but is bolted through the flanges l6 and 17 to the first shell section 5 as the next step in the method. Then the lined telescopic element 11 is adjusted in position within the telescopic element 12 so that its upper end is at the predetermined distance X from the outer end of the spigot 2. The elements II and 12 are then tack-welded together to provide an assembly which can be removed and more conveniently fully welded elsewhere and thereafter returned. Then the part of the second section so assembled that remains uninsulated is provided with a lining 18, which is preferably monolithic. The completely lined second section is then put in position and firmly bolted to the first section through the flanges l6 and 17.

Finally, an asbestos packing 19 is put around the upper end of the telescopic element 1 l, and a two-part ring 20 with a twopart flange 24 bolted to it is welded to the spigot 2 to hold this packing in position.

Although in the construction described in detail above, the openings in the kiln shell are circular and accordingly the chute part of the junction piece is circular in cross-section, both may be of other shapes.

I claim:

1. A rotary kiln having at least one planetary cooler tube in communicating relation with an outlet portion thereof and a junction piece connecting the outlet portion of the kiln with the inlet end portion of each planetary cooler tube, comprising:

a. a first shell section having open end portions, a first end portion being connected to the inlet end portion of the cooler tube; and

b. a second shell section having a first inner member communicating with a second outer member, at least a portion of the second outer member being in overlapping relation with said first inner member, said first inner member being tack-welded thereto, said first inner member further being in sealed communicating spaced relation with the outlet portion of the rotary kiln and said first and second members being in communicating relation with the second end portion of said first shell section, said members being further secured to each other by at least one fully welded joinder portion extending over at least a portion of the tack welded portion and in superposed relation therewith to form a communicating section between the rotarykiln and the first shell section, while the spaced relation between the first inner member and the outlet portion of the rotary kiln permits freedom of movement of the inlet portion of the inner member with respect to the outlet portion of the rotary kiln.

2. The rotary kiln according to claim 1 further comprising at least two fully welded joinder portions positioned to secure said first inner member to said second outer member to form said second shell section, a first fully welded joinder portion extending along the inlet end portion of the second outer member and in contacting relation with adjacent outer surface portions of the first inner member, a second fully welded joinder portion extending along the outlet end portion of the first inner member overlapped by said second outer member and in contacting relation with adjacent inner surface portions of said second outer member.

3. The rotary kiln according to claim 2 wherein said inner member of said second shell section is disposed in mating relation with the outlet portion of the rotary kiln and said second outer member is disposed in mating relation with said first shell section.

4. The rotary kiln according to claim 3 wherein said second outer member abuts against said first shell section.

5. The rotary kiln according to claim 3 wherein said sealed communicating i'elation between said first inner member and said outlet portion of the rotary kiln is provided by a packing material disposed around the outer surface portion of the inlet end portion of said first inner member of said second shell section.

6. The rotary kiln according to claim 5 further comprising a ring element disposed about the packing and a flange element secured to the ring element to retain the packing in position between said flange element and the inlet end portion of said first inner member.

7. The rotary kiln according to claim 6 wherein said ring and flange elements each comprise a two part structure.

8. A rotary kiln having a plurality of cooler tubes positioned in planetary fashion and connected in communicating relation with the outlet end portion of the kiln, each cooler tube having a junction piece connecting the outlet end portion of the kiln with the inlet end portion of the cooler tube comprising;

4 a. a first shell section having two end portions, the first end portion being connected to the inlet end of the cooler tube and the second end portion communicating with the outlet end portion of the rotary kiln, the end portions being in substantially perpendicular relation with each other; and

b. a second shell section having a first inner member having an inlet and outlet end portions, the first inlet end portion of the first inner member communicating with the outlet end portion of the rotary kiln and the outlet end portion of said first inner member connected in communicating relation with a second outer member, said second outer member having an inlet portion which overlaps at least a portion of the outlet end portion of the first inner member, said first inner member being tackwelded within said second outer member and said first inner member further being in sealed communicating spaced relation with the outlet end portion of the rotary kiln, said first and second members being connected in communicating relation with the second end portion of the first shell section, said first inner member and second outer member being further secured to each other by at least two fully welded joinder portions, the first fully welded joinder portion being positioned about the inlet end portion of the second outer member and in contacting relation with outer surface portions of the first inner member, the second fully welded portion being positioned about the outlet end portion of the first inner member and in contacting relation with inner surface portions of the second outer member, said fully welded joinder portions extending over at least a portion of the tack-welded portion and in superposed relation therewith to form a communicating section between the rotary kiln and the first shell section, while the spaced relation between the first inner member and the outlet end portion of the rotary kiln permits freedom of movement clue to thermal expansion and contraction of the inlet portion of the first inner member with respect to the outlet end portion of the rotary kiln.

9. The rotary kiln according to claim 8 further comprising a lining member positioned within said second shell section to thereby provide a lined communicating conduit between the first shell section and the outlet end portion of the rotary kiln. 

1. A rotary kiln having at least one planetary cooler tube in communicating relation with an outlet portion thereof and a junction piece connecting the outlet portion of the kiln with the inlet end portion of each planetary cooler tube, comprising: a. a first shell section having open end portions, a first end portion being connected to the inlet end portion of the cooler tube; and b. a second shell section having a first inner member communicating with a second outer member, at least a portion of the second outer member being in overlapping relation with said first inner member, said first inner member being tack-welded thereto, said first inner member further being in sealed communicating spaced relation with the outlet portion of the rotary kiln and said first and second members being in communicating relation with the second end portion of said first shell section, said members being further secured to each other by at least one fully welded joinder portion extending over at least a portion of the tack welded portion and in superposed relation therewith to form a communicating section between the rotary kiln and the first shell section, while the spaced relation between the first inner member and the outlet portion of the rotary kiln permits freedom of movement of the inlet portion of the inner member with respect to the outlet portion of the rotary kiln.
 2. The rotary kiln according to claim 1 further comprising at least two fully welded joinder portions positioned to secure said first inner member to said second outer member to form said second shell section, a first fully welded joinder portion extending along the inlet end portion of the second outer member and in contacting relation with adjacent outer surface portions of the first inner member, a second fully welded joinder portion extending along the outlet end portion of the first inner member overlapped by said second outer member and in contacting relation with adjacent inner surface portions of said second outer member.
 3. The rotary kiln according to claim 2 wherein said inner member of said second shell section is disposed in mating relation with the outlet portion of the rotary kiln and said second outer member is disposed in mating relation with said first shell section.
 4. The rotary kiln according to claim 3 wherein said second outer member abuts against said first shell section.
 5. The rotary kiln according to claim 3 wherein said sealed communicating relation between said first inner member and said outlet portion of the rotary kiln is provided by a packing material disposed around the outer surface portion of the inlet end portion of said first inner member of said second shell section.
 6. The rotary kiln according to claim 5 further comprising a ring element disposed about the packing and a flange element secured to the ring element to retain the packing in position between said flange element and the inlet end portion of said first inner member.
 7. The rotary kiln according to claim 6 wherein said ring and flange elements each comprise a two part structure.
 8. A rotary kiln having a plurality of cooler tubes positioned in planetary fashion and connected in communicating relation with the outlet end portion of the kiln, each cooler tube having a junction piece connecting the outlet end portion of the kiln with the inlet end portion of the cooler tube comprising; a. a first shell section having two end portions, the first end portion being connected to the inlet end of the cooler tube and the second end portion communicating with the outlet end portion of the rotary kiln, the end portions being in substantially perpendicular relation with each other; and b. a second shell section having a first inner member having an inlet and outlet end portions, the first inlet end portion of the first inner member communicating with the outlet end portion of the rotary kiln and the outlet end portion of said first inner member connected in communicating relation with a second outer member, said second outer member having an inlet portion which overlaps at least a portion of the outlet end portion of the first inner member, said first inner member being tack-welded within said second outer member and said first inner member further being in sealed communicating spaced relation with the outlet end portion of the rotary kiln, said first and second members being connected in communicating relation with the second end portion of the first shell section, said first inner member and second outer member being further secured to each other by at least two fully welded joinder portions, the first fully welded joinder portion being positioned about the inlet end portion of the second outer member and in contacting relation with outer surface portions of the first inner member, the second fully welded portion being positioned about the outlet end portion of the first inner member and in contacting relation with inner surface portions of the second outer member, said fully welded joinder portions extending over at least a portion of the tack-welded portion and in superposed relation therewith to form a communicating section between the rotary kiln and the first shell section, while the spaced relation between the first inner member and the outlet end portion of the rotary kiln permits freedom of movement due to thermal expansion and contraction of the inlet portion of the first inner member with respect to the outlet end portion of the rotary kiln.
 9. The rotary kiln According to claim 8 further comprising a lining member positioned within said second shell section to thereby provide a lined communicating conduit between the first shell section and the outlet end portion of the rotary kiln. 